The object I chose is a coin that was gifted to my father by his grandmother when he left India to come to America. No one in my dad’s family had ever been to America, so it was a huge family ordeal when my dad left. The coin was given as a good luck token for my dad’s pursuits, specifically education, in the US. The front side of the coin has an image of Ganpati, or Ganesha. Ganesha is a Hindu god typically considered the God of New Beginnings and Remover of Obstacles, so tokens of the god are common for special occasions, particularly the start of a new chapter of one’s life. The flip side has an Om at the center, one of the most important spiritual symbols of Hinduism. Definitions for Om, such as “the sacred sound” and “the infinite” are loosely applied to almost every Hindu mantra. The coin was important to my father because it served as a portable piece of India that he could take with him to the United States. The security he found in the coin is reflected in my brother’s name, Ameya. Ameya is often a name used for Lord Ganesha, so the influences of the coin can be seen along generations of my family. 

– Saloni Majmudar

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant